Testing center opens on South Main Street

Wednesday

Jul 16, 2014 at 9:47 AM

A new business is aimed at helping employees wishing to work at Kansas refineries gain needed training.

By Josh ArnettStaff Writer

A new business is aimed at helping employees wishing to work at Kansas refineries gain needed training.It might also help to Central Christian College students pay for college.The Kansas Certification Testing Center is open for people seeking job safety training or College Level Examination Program testing.This center, 1207 S. Main St., McPherson, is run by Central Christian College graduate Micah Church and was created with support from Central Christian College and NCRA.“The entrepreneur side of me loves starting a business,” Church said. “I’d love to see this grow outside NCRA.”The center offers safety training, testing and certification for contractors who wish to work in Kansas refineries. Currently, NCRA is using the services, saving on travel expenses and contractor time.The center also offers College Level Examination Program testing for high school and college students.Church said other businesses have started using the center as well.Testers register at the front desk before signing in to a computer to take the test. Instant feedback can tell test-takers whether they passed or failed the test, allowing them to schedule a retest if needed. Hal Hoxie, president of Central Christian College, said the center can serve up to 50 people at a time. Church said the center is busiest in the mornings, and he hopes to include a variety of testing at the center in the future beyond site-specific tests.“There’s a lot of variety of certification,” Church said. “I want to pursue those opportunities.”The college hopes to employ students there through its President’s Opportunity Grant program as early as next year. The grant program allows Central Christian students to work while in college in order to graduate debt-free after four years.Hal Hoxie, president of Central Christian College, said if the business turns a profit, he hopes two to three Central Christian College students will be able to work there through the grant program.“We’re looking at training needs and making them less expensive,” Hoxie said. “I’m always looking for ways to help students.”The center is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last test administered at 3:30 p.m. Contact Church at 620-504-6389 to make a reservation. For more information about the Kansas Certification Testing Center, visit www.kansaskctc.com.